Have Words Will Travel

Today I was reading on the message boards for my MFA alma mater that it might be a good idea to have a Facebook page for the purposes of publicizing yourself in the literary community.  I agree to an extent.  I mean, I do have literary contacts as “friends” on my Facebook page, but my page is only visible to those whom I have “friended” so I’m not convinced it’s a great publicity tool.   Perhaps it’s possible to make one’s Facebook page public to all — I don’t know.

It seems to me that a better place to out oneself as a literary citizen is on a site like Goodreads.  After all, Goodreads is presumably frequented by literary types who like to read, right?   Turns out Goodreads is a good site for literary networking.  Tonight I received a message via Goodreads from the editor of Gently Read Literature, a newish-but-impressive lit-blog.  He asked if I would consider submitting a review of a poetry collection I’d recently read and done a two-sentence review of on Goodreads.  I’m assuming that he asked not because the two sentences I’d spit out immediately upon finishing the book, but because he (here’s where you fellow starving writers should pay attention) CLICKED THROUGH TO THIS BLOG and beheld my brilliant…ummm…off-the-cuff blathering about…uuuhh…whatever.  And realized that an MFA makes me qualified to write a halfway coherent review.  Well, we’ll see if he posts it.  Because his site really does obviously publish a high standard of content and I think you should go over there right this minute and read some reviews and find a book that sounds like something you would really dig.  I mean, we all need to do our part to support the cause of poetry and literature, yes?  And there are so many amaaaazing poets out there who aren’t being read because the general public is seriously missing out.  Don’t be the General Public.

Also?  Check back there on December 1st.  If I live up to the promise of this blog and my [*insert snooty voice*] literary degree, there will be one kick-ass review of a certain newly-released collection that pretty much everyone in the world should read or else they’ll be MISSING OUT.  (Don’t miss out.)

Thanks, Daniel, for the shot.  And for calling me “aces.”

Today’s a big day — I will be officially graduating and becoming a Master of Fine Arts.  I feel a little like when someone asks you on your birthday “How does it feel to be ___ ?”  It doesn’t feel any different.  I mean, I feel much differently than I did when I first started this program and needed so much guidance and teaching, but I don’t feel any different than I did yesterday, and I doubt there will be any difference tomorrow, either.  Well, maybe a little relief.  And sadness.

Our commencement speaker is Marvin Bell, which is terrific.  He’s been teaching during the afternoon sessions during the residency (as he has every summer residency since I’ve been around) and he’s so funny and very kind and smart.  Also, I’ve made a complete ass out of myself in front of him twice now, at previous residencies when forced to read the humiliatingly painful results of a writing exercise, but yesterday I vindicated myself by writing a decent poem from this year’s exercise and reading it.  A nice way to end the teacher/student relationship.  The first time it happened, though, he very kindly sent me an email that said, “I don’t think of them so much as bad poems as poems that are on their way to something.  Besides, you should see some of the crap I’ve written.”  I will admit, I printed that one out and it lives on the bulletin board above my desk.  More encouraging words were never spoken (or written), I don’t think.

Once again, I have gone way too long without posting. This blog is relatively new, but I’ve blogged elsewhere for several years and believe me when I say it’s unusual for me to post so infrequently. I do want to keep this blog writing-oriented, but I will admit I’ve been dealing with some parental illness issues and it has really taken all my energy for several months. However, that is finally getting sorted out, and school will be starting soon (meaning my children will be entertained by someone other than myself), and I am now on day 3 of my final MFA residency before my graduation on Saturday, so I’m very much getting back into the rhythm of my writing life.

So far, the residency has been fantastic. The highlight thus far is Kate Gale, the Managing Editor of Red Hen Press, Editor of Los Angeles Review, and accomplished poet in her own right, who has been guiding us graduating poets through the process of actually getting a book published instead of just single poems here and there. Of course, we will continue to do that as well, but it’s so great to have some guidance in terms of an actual plan. I’m nothing if not a girl who likes a plan. She’s been very inspiring to all of us, particularly in her argument that we should become players in the publishing world, not just people who want to be published but never give anything back to the community. It makes so much sense that I wonder at the fact that I haven’t been offered that advice before.

Last night was the first of two faculty readings and not only was Kate’s reading amazing (the woman can write, I’m just sayin’), but also the reading of another visiting faculty, Marc Acito, also known as “The Gay Dave Barry.” Holy crap, that man is funny. He had us in hysterics during his lecture the other day, and last night reading from his two books, How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater, and Attack of the Theater People did not disappoint. I bought both books based on his performance (and performance it was, including singing, which brought the audience to its feet) and am very much looking forward to reading them. The downside? My suitcase is going to be so heavy from all the books I’ve been buying, I’m not going to be able to lift it.

More to come.

So, Whitman makes for a very poor workout soundtrack. I think I lasted about 30 seconds before switching to something a little higher-energy. Heh.

AND, I just turned in my final assignment, the Trethewey review, which is a piece of work I’m quite proud of. And now? Time to celebrate.

I haven’t posted in a few days, but not for lack of poetry. I’ve actually been super busy finishing up the semester. As of Friday, I will have completed all my requirements to graduate. Woooo! The thesis is actually done and on its way to my advisor, but that was the easy part. Not that it was actually, easy. I don’t mean to sound flip, because two years of intense work went into it, but I don’t find writing poems to be psychologically wrenching the way writing reviews and critical essays is. And there is a review between me and the end of the semester, so I’m pecking away at it this week. I have to pull out all my tricks to get it done without too much agony — such as writing a page, then rewarding myself with an hour of reading or something. I know, suck it up and write the thing already!

I will say that the book I chose to review is actually a great pleasure, so that’s positive. I’m reviewing Natasha Trethewey’s Native Guard, which won the Pulitzer, and it is a stunning book. I’m going to have a hard time finding anything critical to say. Actually, I take that back — I do have one suggestion that I think would have improved it, which has to do with the ordering of the poems and the division into sections, but you know it’s all so subjective anyway.

I must be off now to run a couple of miles on the treadmill (writing does involve a large amount of time sitting on one’s posterior, after all) but I’ve downloaded the first part of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass to listen to on my iPhone while I run. I’ll report back as to whether it helps or hinders.

This week I’ve been putting the final touches on my thesis manuscript, which is due next week. Yesterday I filled out my application to graduate, which requested a blurb on what the thesis is actually about. Although most of my poems fit in 3 or 4 definite thematic sections, there are by necessity a few random ones, and coming up with an over-arching theme that touches on everything wasn’t something I’d really done. In fact, I didn’t think I even had an over-arching theme.

Interestingly, I ended up finding one fairly easily. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m an expert BS’er or because it really existed in my subconscious all along. I like to think it’s the latter. And once I’d found it, I realized that my title was all wrong. And then when I changed my title to reflect the Big Theme, I realized that the final section needed to be completely re-ordered. The good news is that I figured all of this out before submitting it for review.

If you’re curious, the title is Uncertain Balance.

And the blurb?

Uncertain Balance is a four-section collection of primarily narrative poetry exploring themes of imbalance and displacement in terms of physical location, atmosphere, and the emotions that stem from the loneliest and most challenging moments we face in our lives. The collection focuses specifically on the displacements of childhood within family transitions, in the transition to adulthood and parenthood, as well as the cultural displacements and discoveries of the adoption process, for both biological and adoptive parents, as well as the child herself.

Riveting, no? (Ha. Don’t answer that.)

I reckon once the thesis is done and I start working with the manuscript as an actual book instead of a thesis, things will change somewhat. In fact, an entire section will be coming out, which will make the narrative arc and overall theme much clearer.  (And with any luck, publishable.)